Tap List 9/26/06

Terry's Fest Bier (Octoberfest) (6.5%abv)

Terry Richardson, our recently departed fellow brewer from Gov'nrs Pub is the namesake for this year's batch of Octoberfest. Malty, a little bready, and a touch of noble German hops on the nose make for a very drinkable fall fixture. Raise your glass in Terry's name and drink to a great man.

Black Wolf Schwarz (5.5% abv)

Named after Jim Wolfer from Prairie Rock who let us borrow his lager yeast, Black Wolf is brewed in the style of a German Black Lager or Schwarzbier (black beer). It has a small amount of dark and roasted malts added to the grain bill to give it a distinct, yet not overpowering roasty aroma and taste. At 5.5% it is easy drinking and has a pleasant crisp lager finish. Try this black beer and be surprised by a different kind of one of those "dark beers."

Imperial Mocha Java Stout (9.3% abv)

Summer is the perfect time for a huge stout that warms you up from the inside out. Well maybe not, but we have one anyway. Our Imperial Stout is loaded with dark roast espresso beans from The Great American Coffee Co. in Bourbonnais Il. We used bittersweet chocolate in the boil to add a certain creaminess, and loaded it up with alcohol. Because of the small batch size, and the fact that we will be barrel ageing a good portion of this brew, we will only be serving it in sinfters for $5 a glass.

Vishnu's Vice I.P.A. (8% a.b.v.)[Almost Gon]

It's been weeks since we had an I.P.A. on tap! Matt and I are both very sorry,...we swear. As penance, allow us to offer Vishnu's Vice. It's so good that not even The Great Preserver can resist. If he could drink four at a time he probably would. This I.P.A. is big at 8% a.b.v. and has enough body to stand up to the generous amounts of Amarillo, Simcoe, Cascade, and Summit hops. Enjoy it with a sample of our Anniversary Pale Ale and compare the different hops.

1906 Anniversary Ale (American Pale Ale)

July 2006 is the 100th Anniversary of the building, and the 10th anniversary of Flossmoor Station Restaraunt and Brewpub. To celebrate, Matt and I have made an American Pale Ale that is heavy on the hops, but easy enough to drink and enjoy. 1906 is made with 5 different American hops, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Summit dwarf hops. Enjoy our celebration of 10 years with a pint of 1906!

Avante-Garde Biere de Garde (7% abv)

Avante Garde is a deep coppery red that begins with sweet malty aroma. Flavors of dark fruit are balanced against a toasted, bready malt body. This style is tradionally a Northern France/Belgian farmhouse style that was set down to age over the warm months. ("de Garde" means "To guard" or "store" similarly to "lagern" the German version of storing beer.) Avante Garde has a slightly musty cellar character with very little hop presense. But at 7% watch out for a beer that will warm you up a bit if you aren't careful. Look for ours served in a 12oz Goblet for $4.25

What are we taking?

I done forgot to tell ya'll what we are taking to GABF.

On the Floor:
Specialty Beer- Pullman Brown
Coffee Beer- Imperial Mocha Java Stout
German Schwarzbier- Black Wolf Schwarz
Pale Barrel Aged Beer- Ol' Woody APA
Stong Barrel Aged Beer- Wooden Hell Barley Wine

Judge Only Beers:
Belgian Fruit Lambic: De Wilde Zuidentrein Frambozen Bier
Experimental: Angry Mike's Stoudt Creek

We'll see if we can get any updates done while we are there but I'm not making any promises. This is vacation for me damnit.

Wagons West!

Tuesday is going to be a day filled with getting tons of work done, but Wednesday Matt and I will head west to Denver. We have lots of stuff beyond GABF planned so updates should come mid next week when I get a chance to reflect, move into my new apartment, and get everything uploaded. I can only promise lots of pictures; more than last year. Hopefully following the beer trail nothing bad will happen. I'm only bringing a few sets of clothes and I don't want to trade with that Indian guide unless I really have to. I'm looking forward to some time off, good beers, and scenic country side.

If you happen to not understand the premise of this post at all, check out a fond memory from my child hood. The Oregon trail on an AppleII just like in gradeschool.

FIRKIN FRIDAY AT FLOSSMOOR STATION

This just in......we've uncovered some cask conditioned ale in the cellar. On Friday, September 22nd at 6PM, we will tap into a firkin of Vishnu's Vice IPA . Come help us drain this rarity at Flossmoor Station.

Feedback and Updates

I know you guys are out there, either close to the brewery or far away in the depths of the internet. We want some feedback from you readers out there. If you like what we do here, let us know and if you don't let us know why. The internet is a magical place. Just ask Senator Ted Stevens.

"They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the Internet. And again, the Internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand that those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material..."-Sen Ted Stevens

Think about that.



Our Octoberfest party is coming up at Flossmoor this Saturday.

OKTOBERFEST
September 23, 2006 4pm-10pm.

Activities include: Live music, kids activities/face painting,
traditional German food, and great beer specials!

We will be tapping our Octoberfest that day so be ready. This year's edition of Octoberfest is dedicated to Terry Richardson, the recently departed brewer at Govnor's Pub in Lake-in-the-Hills IL. I didn't know Terry very well at all, we may have met at a beer fest or two but if the long line of people paying their respects at his wake can be any judge of the man's life, he was well respected and very well liked. He was a homebrewer turned professional and it always hurts to lose one of your own. Naming our Octoberfest after him is only a token gesture but one that we hope he would have appreciated.

Denver and GABF 25!
Last year in Denver we hobbled away with three shameful bronze medals. This year at the 25th annual Great American Beer Festival we are sending seven beers and hope that we won't embarrass ourselves too badly when we walk home empty handed. Matt and I head out on the 27th and return on the 1st so wish us luck!

Don't forget, we want to hear back on how we are doing with our beers, and with this blog. We were recently mentioned on Realbeer.com's Beer Therapy. A great beer blog that everyone should check out when they get the chance. (I think they are Peewee fans too!)

I see...A BASEMENT!

Madame Ruby
Cash only.
No cards, no checks.
You got cash? [PeeWee nods]
Let me take your jacket. [jerks away]
You want to wear a wet jacket,
it's all right with Madam Ruby.
For $20 I can tell you a lot of things.
For $30 I can tell you more.  
And for $50 I can tell you everything.
[drops crumpled bills on table]

Pee Wee 
Tell me why I'm here.

Madame Ruby
 You're here because you... 
...want something.
Let's see...
 ...what Madam Ruby sees. 
I see...
...a bicycle.

Pee Wee
Yes! Is it okay?
        
        Madame Ruby         
It's okay.

Pee Wee
Where is it?! Can you see it?
Where is it?!

Madame Ruby
    Where is it?         
It's somewhere else.
Somewhere far away.

Pee Wee
Where?!

Madame Ruby
The Alamo.

Pee Wee
The Alamo.

Madame Ruby
In the basement.

Pee Wee
I'll never forget you.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure is one of my favorite films of all time. When the clairvoyant Madame Ruby tells Pee Wee

his bike is in the basement of the Alamo, he rushes off cross country to track down his bike. Sure, so maybe there isn't a basement in the Alamo, but there is a basement in Flossmoor. And guess what it has it in? Barrel Aged Beers!

We have a lot of them. Last count shows us currently at 11 different barrels, all filled with one type of beer or another.

This winter we will be taking them out of their wooden homes and getting them
to the bar.  Those of you from non Flossmoor areas, fear not, we are working on
pouring one or more of our barrel aged beers within the city limits.  Stay Tuned!